If Nothing Else
by TimeShard13
Summary: The Ministry finally realizes a werewolf is attending Hogwarts which somehow leads Remus Lupin's worst nightmare. Or at least one of them. The story of how the he whole entire school found out about Remus' secret and the aftermath. Mostly from the point of view of Remus, Sirius, James, Peter, and Minerva McGonagall.


**Hello! I should really be updating other stories but this mini-plot got stuck in my head and I wrote in about two hours flat. So on that note there's probably a ton of grammar issues, but it's late, I have homework to do, and I'm impatient. So here's a little Marauder's Era story. At the moment it's a one shot, if I come up with a good idea I may continue it.**

 **Important Notes: This takes place sometime during the Marauder's sixth year. Everything up until this point is roughly canon-ish but that really doesn't affect this story.**

Remus Lupin sat, unmoving, in the straight backed chair across the desk Professor Dumbledore. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap and he was sure he had missed at least half of what the Headmaster had said.

"I assure you, Remus," He continued not unkindly. "Despite the Ministries new protocols you will be allowed to finish your education here at Hogwarts. It's just that now, as you've been officially registered as a werewolf, and the Ministry has been made aware of our, ah, arrangement, they feel it necessary to, well-"

"It's alright, Professor," Remus cut in quietly, not looking up from his lap. "I understand. If students are going to school with someone like me they deserve to know it." He looked up with a rue smile. "Thank you, for what you've done. I can't imagine it was easy convincing them to let me stay."

"Not at all, my boy." Dumbledore smiled quickly before a frown appeared again. "I'm afraid you're the one who's going to be in for a real struggle." Remus took a shaky breath, nodding. Dumbledore caught his gaze. "I suggest you tell those most important to you on your own terms. They'll only take it worse from a ministry official."

Remus gave real smile this time and replied with a hint of pride, "I don't think that will be a problem, Sir."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "No I don't suppose it will. You've got good friends, Remus, and I'm afraid you'll be needing them over the next two years."

"I know, Sir, I know."

* * *

Remus' calm only lasted to the bottom of the spiral staircase leading down from the Headmaster's office, however. As he walked back to the Gryffindor tower his whole body felt like it was shaking. Five and a half years of painstakingly hiding his lycanthropy and now it was all going to be for nothing.

Over the next few days Remus tried his best to act normal, but he only got more nervous as the time approached. Now, only a few hours before dinner, he was sitting in History of Magic and turning into a complete nervous wreck. Tonight someone from the Ministry would make an announcement before the entire school and Remus' semi-peaceful life would be over.

"Moony, Moony. Remus!" Remus jerked around to look at Sirius, sitting on his left. The other boy looked torn between annoyance and concern. "Come on Rem, what's up? And I don't want any of your pitiful excuses, you've been freaking out all week."

Remus winced. "Just drop it ok? You'll find out at dinner." Looking even more confused now, Sirius went back to doodling. Remus sighed. Three and half more hours.

At the end of a delicious looking supper, which Remus hadn't had a bite of, Dumbledore stood and called for attention.

"I'm sorry to delay you all, but we have a representative from the Ministry here with an important announcement for you all. I ask that you please listen respectively and hold all comments to the end. Thank you." With that he motioned for an unfamiliar man to step forward.

Remus saw James, Sirius, and Peter give him a few odd glances but thankfully the man began speaking before any of them had a chance to question Remus further.

"Unfortunately, it is not with great pleasure that I am here to address you tonight."

"Well isn't he a bucket full of sunshine." James quipped and Sirius snorted.

"It has recently come to the Ministries attention," the man continued, "that there is a, ah, a creature," Remus winced. "in attendance here at Hogwarts and, well" the man took a breath and seemed to steel himself. "despite much controversy it has been decided that _it_ shall be allowed to finish out it's stay here. However we at Ministry felt it only proper that you, the students, be aware of the full situation. Honestly it is quite worrisome how long such a creature has been allowed to attend this school without your knowledge."

At this point Remus had nearly stopped breathing. He could sense his three friends sitting around him, tense and shocked more than anything at the moment. Glancing around the hall he could see confusion and worry on most of the faces.

Remus watched the man draw himself up, preparing for the final blow, and couldn't even bring himself to feel angry. "There is a werewolf at school and even now it sits amongst you." Remus flinched as noise erupted. Why did they have to send an overly melodramatic man who clearly hated werewolves to do this?

Most people looked confused and nervous, which Remus certainly couldn't fault them for. Others, however, looked downright furious, terrified, or a combination of both. He looked to either side of him, afraid, and saw James and Sirius wearing equally angry expressions, though Remus had no doubts that they, at least, were directed at the Ministry man.

"Please, quiet down." The man must have been hollering for a few minutes but only now did Remus register his voice. "Now, stand up, Werewolf, you're done hiding." A hush fell over the Great Hall.

Painfully slowly, Remus began to stand, legs shaking. He felt a loose grip on his arm but it slipped off as he took a step away from the table. Before he knew what he was doing, Remus felt himself open his mouth. "My name is Remus Lupin, Sir." There was a moment of silence before general chaos seemed to erupt. Those who were more familiar with wizarding prejudices stumbled away from the pale boy while those who weren't, mostly muggleborns, were pulled. Remus thought he should feel upset that the students in his own house were now frightened of him, but he honestly couldn't feel anything at the moment.

Then Sirius jumped up from the table, a scowl on his face, motioning towards the door. "You need to get out here. Move, Rem, get back to the dorm before this gets worse." Remus blinked but didn't move. Now James was standing next to Sirius and even Peter had moved to stand. "Get out of here," Sirius shouted over the din. After James gave him a shove, Remus finally turned and hurried towards the doors. He slipped through them and they closed with a loud thud. Silence except for Remus' heavy breathing. Without a second thought he began running to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

At first, they had thought it was some sort of sick and twisted joke. And then Remus had stood up, and it was real. The entire school knew their secret, his secret. As it began to sink into the other students what exactly had just happened, Sirius felt a twinge of panic. He looked at James and knew his best friend was having similar thoughts. Remus didn't need to see this. He needed to leave. Sirius jumped up, stumbling, and saw James, and belatedly Peter, doing the same. "You need to get out of here," he was shouting to be heard, but Remus didn't seem to be listening. "Move, Rem, get back to the dorm before this gets worse." The other boy still wasn't moving, so without thinking, Sirius shoved him, hard. That did the trick.

"What's wrong with you?" The three boys spun around to see a very confused and very annoyed Lily Evans. James frowned, then realized she had been speaking to them. "I thought you were supposed to be 'the Marauders', I can't believe petty you are." He looked at Sirius, who was equally confused, until he realized what them shoving Remus must have looked like to everyone else. He was about to say something when one of Lily's friends turned to her and said something about 'werewolves' and 'dangerous' into her ear.

James attention was jerked back towards Sirius as the Black grabbed his and Peter's shirts and tugged them to the doors. They didn't speak as they ran for the their dorms, completely at a loss for words and still relatively shocked. Lily thought they hated Remus now, Sirius felt a flicker of panic before he squashed it. Remus would know that's not what they meant.

"What have you boys been up to?" The Fat Lady asked in a high voice as her portrait came into sight. "Your other friend just ran up here in quite the tizzy and-"

"Hippogriff!" James and Sirius shouted at the same time. The door swung open as the lady let out an indignant huff saying "Alright, alright, just trying to be polite," but the boys were already in the common room and starting up the stairs.

At the top, however, they froze, catching their breaths. Sirius straightened his robes, looked at James, who nodded, then opened the door to their dorm slowly. "Remus?" He called up uncertainly. There was no answer but he entered anyway. Remus was sitting in the far corner of the room, knees tuck up to his chest. Peter let the door close with a slam behind him and all four boys flinched. Without saying a word Sirius and James took a seat on either side of their friend and Peter joined them after fetching a blanket.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was livid. Beyond livid. She was quite sure there was no word that adequately surmised her hatred for the man who had just taken his seat again beside the Headmaster. Of course she had known what he was was going to say, but had she know how he was going to say it she would have silenced the fool and made the speech herself. Despite their rather troublesome nature the four sixth year boys had come to have a soft spot in professor's heart and especially the quiet gentle boy who always had time to discuss the finer points of transfiguration with her.

She would be the first to admit it, but Minerva had slightly uncomfortable with the thought of werewolf attending Hogwarts. After the first time seeing him, however, all doubts vanished. How anyone could think Remus Lupin a dangerous creature was beyond her and she was quite fed up with the commotion in the Great Hall at the moment. Thankfully, it seemed Dumbledore was too. He stood and almost immediately the students began to quiet.

"I ask that you all retire to your common rooms at this point, and I also ask that you think carefully before making any rash judgements. Thank you and goodnight." With that he sat back down. Minerva watched as prefects tried to herd the younger students out of the Great Hall with some semblance of order. She caught the Headmaster's eye, silently asking to be excused. He nodded and she quickly stood, exiting through a side door near the staff table.

She walked as fast as was seemly up the winding staircases. Minerva wasn't _afraid_ per se, just mildly concerned. She had thought, hoped really, that having lived with Remus for the past five years James, Sirius, and Peter would have already known that their friend was a werewolf. Judging by what she had seen however, Remus being roughly pushed by Black, she thought she must have been wrong.

Minerva quickened her pace. She had watched the other three follow Remus out of the Great Hall and while she didn't think even Black, who was known for getting violent on occasion, would go so far as to harm Remus, she knew how much words could hurt. The faster she found the boys the better.

When Minerva was finally standing on the landing outside of their closed dormitory, however, she found it strangely silent. Knocking gently, she entered without receiving a response. She hadn't been expecting one.

The room was dim and with all the clutter it took her a few minutes to locate the boys. When she did her worries vanished and she thought herself foolish. Lying on the floor were all four boys. Remus was clinging to Sirius' arm and James was using Remus' shoulder as a pillow. Peter had somehow managed to get a blanket tangled around them and was now sleeping with James leg as a pillow. She should have known. Never in her teaching career had Minerva seen a group of friends quite like these four.

Sirius' eyes blinked open and he gave her a wary look before noticing who it was. Minerva simply smiled gently, said a whispered thank you, and walked out of the dormitory. Remus would be alright, she knew, because if nothing else he had those three boys, and really that was all he needed.

She didn't think the commotion in the common room would be as easily settled.

 **So this is my first ever Harry Potter fic and I would love some feedback :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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